Electric watch



Oct. 31, 1961 A. HUG ET AL ELECTRIC WATCH Filed March 22, 1960 GEE-n INVEN TORS V FERN/1ND GU/GNARD,

BEYNER AND HUG AN y K A TTOPNE Y 3,t ilt,139 ELECTRIC WATCH Andi- Hug and Andre Rayner, Neuchatel, and Fernand Guignard, Bienne, Switzeriand, assignors to Ebauehes S.A., Neuchatel, and Fahrique de Boites La Centrale, Bienne, Switzeriand, both firms or? Switzeriand Filed Mar. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 16,821

Claims priority, application Switzerland Mar. 27, 1959 The present invention relates to an electric watch having an electrochemical energy source (primary battery or accumulator) disposed in the base or back of the casing.

The said electric watch is characterised by the fact that a packing is disposed between the said source and the base or back in such manner that a portion of the envelope of the energy source constitutes with the base or back a fluid-tight compartment separate from the remainder of the interior of the case.

The drawings illustrate by Way of example a constructional form of the subject of the invention and a modification. I

FIGURE 1 is an axial section through a part of an electric watch, and

FIGURE 2 is a section through a detail of a modified construction.

The watch illustrated in FIGURE 1 comprises a case formed of a body 1, a glass 2, provided with a reinforcing ring -3, and a screw base or back 4. A packing 5 is disposed between the case body 1 and the base or back 4.

The electric movement of the watch, which is denoted by 6, is diagrammatically illustrated as provided with a dial 7. The said movement is fed by an accumulator 8 of tablet form disposed in the base or back 4. The envelope of the accumulator 8 consists of two domeshaped members 9 and 1t) crimped together and electrically insulated from one another. Each dome-shaped portion constitutes in addition one of the terminals of the accumulator. A packing 1:1 is disposed between the base or back 4 and the dome-shaped portion 9 of the accumulator. The latter is maintained in position in the base or back 4 by its ring 12of electrically insulating material, which is screwed into the rim 4a of the base. The said ring has recesses 13 to receive a tool for tightening it.

The dome-shaped portion 9, the base 4 and the packing 11 thus form a fluid-tight compartment 14, within which is situated the crimped joint 15 between the two domeshaped portions of the accumulator. If the envelope of the latter leaks, the electrolyte contained therein thus does not spread through the remainder of the case and more particularly it does not come into contact with the movement 6.

The current is led in on the one hand to the domeshaped portion 9 by means not shown, and then conducted to the movement 6, and on the other hand to the domeshaped portion 10, the earth serving as a conductor. For this purpose, the dome-shaped portion 10 is in electrical contact with the base. For the sake of safety, a corrugated resilient annulus 16 is disposed between the base and the don1e-shaped portion 19, because owing to the hardness of the packing 11 the dome-shaped portion 10 might not come into direct contact with the base 4.

In the modified construction illustrated in FIGURE 2, the accumulator 17, the envelope of which is formed of two dome-shaped portions 18 and 19, is disposed in the base 20 of the case snapped to the case body denoted by 21. The peripheral Zone of the dome-shaped portion 18 is let into a ring of plastic material 22 constituting a portion of the packing. The said ring 22 is formed by injection of thermoplastic material around the domeshaped portion 18. The packing is completed by an annular seal 23 pressed between the case body 21, the base 2t) and the ring 22. A fluid-tight compartment 24 is thus formed, which is independent of the remainder of the case. r

The present invention is applicable in particular to wrist Watches.

What we claim is:

1. In an electric timepiece, more especially a wrist watch comprising a case provided with a case body and with a back, and an electrochemical energy source, provided with an envelope, located in the said back, a packing disposed between the said envelope and the said back in such manner that a portion of the said envelope constitutes with the said back a fluid-tight compartment separate from the remainder of the interior of the said case, said packing being pressed between said energy source, said back and said case body.

2. In an electric timepiece, more especially a wrist watch comprising a case provided with a back, and an electrochemical energy source, provided with an envelope, located in the said back, a packing disposed between the said envelope and the said back in such manner that a portion of the said envelope constitutes with the said back a fluid-tight compartment separate from the remainder of the interior of the said case, and a ring of plastic material into which is let the peripheral zone of the said envelope, and which constitutes at least a part of the said packing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,938,327 Vogel May 31, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 320,421 Switzerland May 15, 1957 

